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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · row · ground · chip · pitch · pass · march · tube

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pop — soda
  5. march — music
  6. tube — a container
  7. pop — to visit
  8. march — the month
  9. chip — for betting
  10. row — to paddle
  11. ground — a position
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. chip — to eat
  15. tube — the underground
  16. march — the month
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pitch — completely
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. row — a line
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pop — music
  24. tube — in a tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com